Stupid question here. A dunder pit is a container of rum backset ? And you let it set to get moldy ? And then use it in a new batch like you do with backset in a sour mash whiskey mash ? OOPS that's 3 questions.

just started fooling with rum trying to get some courage up, but guys that sounds darned scary...What is really funny is that I just got back from the Caribbean, wife wanted to do a cruise. Man that jungle in Honduras and Belize is super funky.....I cannot imagine all the biologicals skulking about. I went to Jungle training in Panama years ago and a scratch gets infected in about an hour. It defies my imagination. Ya know what that jungle is still funky and in my opinion , the Mayans built the temple pyramids to try to get some relief from damn jungle.... I would guess dunder would vary from location to location. even so I will be working on courage to do it here in the south east. You guys are fearless... or maybe the CDC is too close to home....

My dunder is about 4 or 5 months old, it had a 2 inch thick mould layer last time I looked about 6 weeks ago, had a peek today and the mould is entirely gone but there were hundreds of the biggest maggots I have ever seen swimming in it, on the lid and up the sides.Gave the lid to the chooks to clean up, they loved it.Its an a plastic 60 litre rubbish bin (new) and figured if I left the lid on then some sort of fly is going to livve its life cycle in there so ran a sieve through and pulled out 95% of them .. again, the chooks think I am a top bloke and molasses flavoured maggots are their new favourite thing.Have I left it too long or is it just coming good ?

Stoney wrote:My dunder is about 4 or 5 months old, it had a 2 inch thick mould layer last time I looked about 6 weeks ago, had a peek today and the mould is entirely gone but there were hundreds of the biggest maggots I have ever seen swimming in it, on the lid and up the sides.Gave the lid to the chooks to clean up, they loved it.Its an a plastic 60 litre rubbish bin (new) and figured if I left the lid on then some sort of fly is going to livve its life cycle in there so ran a sieve through and pulled out 95% of them .. again, the chooks think I am a top bloke and molasses flavoured maggots are their new favourite thing.Have I left it too long or is it just coming good ?

Damn! I've made some bad jokes about my dunder getting up and walking away, but I always thought I was joking.

Seriously (if that's possible), whatever laid those eggs, should just be carrying your local microbiota, and that's what the original Caribbean dunder was all about, so I think you should be ok for rum (all boiled and vaporized, dontcha know), but if you're feeling delicate, you might stretch some screen across the top. Fabric-store tulle (pronounced "tool") is cheap and works well.

Now I take the backset from a lot of things, labeled, put it in ziplok bags and straight into the freezer. When starting a new ferment, I drop a bag or two in while cooling. Nutes, dead yeast and stuff for free...

The mold structure does not need much oxygen at all so I lock mine down to keep the flys out. During the summer months I can grow a mold structure in about two weeks. So I aerate and lock it down tight. Within two weeks the dunder is wonderfully floral with hints of chocolate and very sparkly clean . Not at all earthy or musky.

Without locking down I always get a larva infestation and the dunder ends up smelling very foul without fail.

I haven't had any infestation, but it's been about 0 to 30 Degrees F outside here for the past month. Once I combine all my jars into a jerry can with more backset I will probably cover with a coffee filter for a week or 2 and then lock it down. It smells very fresh and minty. If it wasn't for the layer of mold on top I'd be tempted to taste it.

Question: When I transfer to a 5 gallon container, should I add any sugar at all? I have a few pounds of raw cane sugar left from my trip to the islands. I added a small pinch to each of the jars, but not even enough to change the Sg reading.